Mygo, you guys seem to be getting a bit heavy-hearted.

Unscrupulous merchants who sell leftover food as if it were freshly prepared; heartless bosses who are willing to hire underage child laborers but only provide three meals and lodging; and rental agencies that claim to follow contracts but profit from loopholes.

Shoko Toyokawa had already witnessed and confronted these people. Unlike the innocent and carefree environment of school, these individuals would not show her any mercy just because she was a middle school student.

She had to struggle with all her might to avoid being overwhelmed by these adults who were much older than her, and to avoid being swallowed up by the crowd before she could rebel against the Toyokawa family.

The most terrifying thing about walking on thin ice is that you never know if taking the next step will lead to utter ruin.

After dragging his luggage out of the manor that could protect him and his daughter, Xiangzi never slept well again. He was forever lost and wandering in insomnia and doubt, unable to find a way out or a place to return to.

be terribly upset

Surrounded by dangers, and with nothing in hand.

The insignificance of her own made Toyokawa Shoko constantly anxious and agitated... No one noticed, and no adult would waste their precious time on a little girl.

Just as she realized, are people in this society all indifferent...?

“Yanming, you are completely different from them.”

“You are willing… even keen to focus your attention on me, and I don’t feel a trace of malice in it.”

"Now that you know most about 'Toyokawa Shoko', could you tell me what your thoughts were when you took me in?" Shoko asked earnestly, with grains of rice still stuck to the corners of her mouth from wolfing down her food, but that didn't bother her.

Yanming's answer will determine how the two will get along in the future, and in other words, it will determine what kind of fruit this relationship that goes beyond friendship will ultimately bear.

Yanming lowered his hands, which had been clasped to his chest, and placed them flat on the dining table. His gaze met Toyokawa Shoko's with a calm expression, a stark contrast to his serious and focused demeanor.

One discussion was about the life and death of humanity, while the other was about what to eat tomorrow night.

"Do you think this needs a reason?" Yanming asked casually.

Xiangzi hesitated for a moment, but still insisted on his idea: "Yes, it is very necessary... No matter what you do, you need a suitable reason."

The implication is that

Why care about her so much?

"One reason...one reason...let me think about it."

Yanming isn't very good at beating around the bush or using sweet talk, so almost everything he says reflects his true thoughts, which is similar to Xiangzi in the past.

"Well—it's probably because 'Toyokawa Shoko' is a very cute child, that's the simple reason."

If everything needs a reason to be done, then his reason is to follow his heart.

Because he had an idea, he did it, enjoying both the process and the outcome; that's his way of doing things.

"……Eh?"

Why did you suddenly praise her like that?

How should I respond to this kind of praise? I've never received such a compliment before...

As expected, Xiangzi's computer crashed, with countless white steam billowing from its head.

Yanming: "?"

What kind of reaction is this? Don't girls like being praised like this? Even though I didn't mean it that way, Xiao Xiang shouldn't be reacting like this, right?

He really still doesn't know how to win a young girl's heart.

Chapter Twenty: Band lead singers are attracted to each other.

"Let me finish speaking first." Yanming got up and poured Xiangzi a glass of cold water. "Here, calm down a bit."

*shaking*

Xiangzi shakily reached out and took the water cup from Yanming's hand as if it were a hot potato, and then, while still shaking, he sipped the cold water from the cup into his mouth.

"Good ice!"

Of course it will be cold, you idiot! Who drinks water with their neck?

Yanming reluctantly pulled out a piece of paper, swept it across the table, and helped Xiangzi wipe his chin, which was wet with cold water.

"Xiao Xiang is a very cute child. I realized that from the first time I met him."

"Seeing you clearly flustered but still trying to force yourself to put on a serious and mature expression, to be honest... it's really interesting."

When an octopus is angry, its hormones are activated throughout its body by the brain, resulting in its body becoming more vibrant in color, which appears to outsiders as a sign of increased aggression.

But that wasn't anger... It was a reaction to the danger one sensed, a fear of being hurt. Rather than anger, it was fear.

Xiangzi was uneasy because of the changes, which is why he adopted that posture when he first met her. It wasn't to hurt others, but simply to protect himself.

Because she was uneasy, because she was afraid.

After realizing this, when Yanming saw the tense expression on that little face, he only found it adorable.

But that's not all; there are many other aspects as well.

The clothes he kept changing, the plague-ridden, drunken father, his obsession with money, and his occasional bouts of delirium.

All these aspects show that Toyokawa Shoko actually had a very hard life. At least few children her age could shoulder such a heavy burden, even though she herself knew that she was just putting on a brave face.

Few people are naturally strong-willed; most are forced by circumstances. But Xiangzi probably belongs to the former category. To be honest, even now Yanming finds the resilience she has shown incredible.

How did she persevere before she met herself?

This was the first time Yanming had become interested in other people's experiences. Perhaps because his own life was almost over, he simply gave up and began to pay more attention to Xiangzi.

In the end, the conclusion was that she was really "cute".

It doesn't refer to physical or mental cuteness, but rather to breaking the word down.

“可” means worthwhile, while “爱” means to cherish.

Yanming tilted his head and smiled, then looked at Xiangzi, who was nearly choking on water again, and asked, "Does this answer explain my motive?"

Yes, he developed inappropriate feelings for underage girls.

But it's fatherly love.

Since your biological father is unable to give you enough love, then I will.

A lovely child like Xiao Xiang deserves to be cared for.

Even when giving a statement, Yanming would say the same thing to the police officers.

【death penalty!】

[Execute immediately!]

Ignoring the person who was just there to join in the fun, Yanming asked, "Surely this kind of opportunistic answer can't be considered the correct one?"

Regarding the answer to 'Why do they care about you so much?'

It's because I want to care about you.

It sounds like utter nonsense.

However, the absurd and nonsensical answer itself indirectly proves that the question is wrong.

which is

“Not everything I do needs a reason.” Yanming gathered the leftover plates and bowls on the table into a stack. “As long as I’m happy, it doesn’t matter.”

After saying that, leaving the stunned Toyokawa Shoko behind, she tied on a small apron with pink ruffles and walked briskly to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Then, a calm voice drifted from the kitchen, "I won't see you off. There's another umbrella in the cabinet in the entryway. Get some rest when you get back. Starting tomorrow, come to my house for breakfast, and I'll take you to school on time every day."

"..." Toyokawa Shoko had never seen an adult like this before, either before or after his downfall. "Really... saying things that are so easy to misunderstand..."

[No raft, Host, isn't that amazing?]

"This is amazing..."

【Huh? Did you hear that?!】

[…No, he's talking to himself.]

"It's almost like a sign from fate."

[Changes detected in the entered information]

【What is this? —Hiss?】

The system saw the change on the panel and gasped.

【Name: Toyokawa Shoko】

[Current Intimacy Level: Shared Destiny (80)]

[Inhale...exhale—]

[You two should at least try to have a proper relationship, you idiots!!!]

……

The sun was high in the sky at dawn.

"Vroom—Vroom—" Yanming yawned as he sat on the motorcycle, pulled down his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes.

Getting up early to take my child to school takes some getting used to, even though I usually get up around the same time. The mindset is completely different, and that makes a difference to how others perceive me.

It's roughly the difference between getting up for yourself and getting up for someone else?

Not bad, but it is a bit troublesome.

The prestigious private school that Xiao Xiang is currently attending doesn't allow parents to drive their children directly to the gate. So, parents have to get out of their cars in the nearest block and walk a short distance with Xiao Xiang.

"Damn it, Moon Forest! If I had a child, I would never send him to study here!" The petty Yanming made a friendly gesture towards the school gate in the distance behind him, then twisted the accelerator, using the roar of the engine to break through the haze and confusion around him.

"So handsome!"

"Really? He's so handsome!"

"Just like someone on TV!"

Her dashing demeanor naturally attracted many female middle school students in uniform.

Most of the students at Moon Forest are wealthy young ladies, and they are all less resistant to the type of Yanming. It can be said that wherever Yanming goes, he causes a stir.

"They even wait at traffic lights..."

Did he just look at me?

"You're clearly looking at me!"

[Don't look! Don't look! None of you women are allowed to look! I won't let you see!]

【Hate!】

What's wrong with this system so early in the morning?

Yanming was thinking listlessly when, in the next second, his still somewhat drowsy mind was instantly jolted awake by the scene before him.

"Fuck!"

A short-haired girl, resembling a small animal, stood by the bridge, staring blankly at the tram below, with almost half of her body leaning out.

"Girl, don't jump! Calm down! Think of your family and friends—!"

Seeing the girl's actions becoming increasingly dangerous, Yanming didn't have time to think. He twisted the accelerator and drove towards the bridge, approaching the girl who was about to commit suicide at top speed.

Then, he forcefully swung the front of the motorcycle to the side, throwing himself off the motorcycle.

"Screech—" The expensive motorcycle paint scraped against the ground, sparking a shower of sparks, before finally crashing heavily into the guardrail and coming to a stop, its two wheels still spinning rapidly in the air.

"You! Stop right there!!" Ignoring his bruised knees, Yanming lunged at the girl and pinned her to the ground.

Chapter Twenty-One: The Girl with Short Hair

"...Ah." Before I knew it, it was already dawn.

I couldn't sleep all night.

"Little Lamp, it's time to get up and have breakfast!"

Mother……

With a "whoosh," the curtains were pulled open, and the bright sunlight outside immediately shone into Takamatsu's unusually amber eyes.

...but it cannot provide illumination.